Adventure in the Sands
by ImaSupernaturalCSI
Summary: Riley takes part of the treasure to Cairo. When someone comes after him wanting the treasure, it will take Riley, his new friend and a blast from the past to save it. RileyOC, Xover with The Mummy.
1. The Adventure Begins

**Disclaimer:I don't own the characters of National Treasure. I also don't own anyone from The Mummy or Mummy Returns. Natalie is mine.**

**Author's Note: This would be my first foray into either of these fandoms. Will be a RileyOFC piece. I'm posting it here because there's more characters in here from NatTreasure than The Mummy. Plus it's mostly Rileycentric.**

**Summary: Riley delivers part of the Freemason Treasure to the Egyptian Musem. Natalie O'Connell has inherited her great-grandfather's sense of adventure. But someone wants part of the treasure, and it'll take Riley, Natalie and a very old friend to help keep it safe!**

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Chapter One: The Adventure Begins

The sun was setting on the beautiful cityscape of Cairo, Egypt. Cairo was a mix of the modern and the very, very old. Skyscrapers mixed with domed mosques and palm trees. The Nile wound through the city. A few blocks from the mighty river and through the crazy maze of streets stood the Egyptian Museum. In the distance to the southwest, the huge pyramids outside of Giza stood over the desert like giant sentinels.

The last few visitors were just straggling out of the museum. Closing time was in forty-five minutes. A few were still walking the halls, taking in King Tut's treasures, or the giant statue of Khafre. The museum was so big that many of the visitors had to come back the next day to finish their tour.

Tut was by far the most popular exhibit in the museum, but the next-best was the small room dedicated to Imhotep, the high priest of the pharaoh Seti. Imhotep had died a horrible death for having an affair with Seti's mistress. He was mummified alive. The story went that a group of explorers in the 20s brought Imhotep back to life by reading a passage from the Book of the Dead. Supposedly, they killed him again, but he was resurrected _again_ in 1933. To many, it was just a legend. A story to pass around at the campfire.

But to the young docent who was walking the halls, making sure visitors knew it was a half hour to closing time, the story was very real. Natalie O'Connell stepped up to two men who were reading the plaques on the wall in the Imhotep room. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but the museum is going to close in about thirty minutes. We open again tomorrow at nine a.m. if you'd like to finish reading." She stuck a tendril of her auburn hair behind her ear and surveyed the room with a small smile. "It's a fascinating story, isn't it?" she said, mostly to herself, not the two men who were in the room with her. "All for love, Imhotep vows to resurrect Anck-su-Namun, the mistress of Pharaoh Seti. It's a beautiful story..." she paused, then shrugged. "Well, minus the whole taking over the world thing."

She turned. The two men were now staring intently at her. Each wore black suits, and both had dark eyes that seemed to look right through her. Natalie suddenly felt very self-conscious. "Uh...sorry. Twenty-five minutes, gentlemen. Have a good night." With that, Natalie exited the room, pushing her glasses up her nose. She headed to the information desk to gather her things to leave for the night.

"Hi, Jahi," Natalie said to the night security guard.

Jahi bowed. "Miss Natalie. How was your day?"

She smiled. Jahi was in his fifties, and treated Natalie like a daughter. "Busy as usual," she replied. "May your night be quieter than my day."

He nodded. "Enjoy your night, Miss Natalie."

"See you in the morning, Jahi," Natalie replied. She grabbed her shoulder bag and slipped it over her head. With a wave, she headed out of the large doors and into the dry Cairo evening. As she walked down the stairs, she nearly ran into a young man who was on his way up the stairs. "Sir!" Natalie called, turning to look behind her.

The young man turned. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with disheveled brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of black and white Converse sneakers, blue jeans and a Batman T-shirt. He was sporting a khaki green shoulder bag. "What?" he asked.

"The museum closes in fifteen minutes," Natalie said. "I would suggest coming back tomorrow morning if you want to see anything." He looked vaguely familiar, but Natalie couldn't figure where she'd seen him before.

"I...no, no I'm not a tourist. I'm looking for a book," he replied. "I was told the gift shop here might have it."

"Well, I work here," Natalie said. "Perhaps I can help you. What book are you looking for, exactly?"

"Well...I don't actually know the author. It's called _Adventure in the Sands_," he said.

"It's by Alexander O'Connell," Natalie replied, surprised that he was asking for that particular book. "And yes, we do have it."

"Really?" He perked up with excitement. "You-you think we could go in and get it?"

"Sir, everything's been closed down for the night," Natalie reminded him, not understanding the rush. "Tomorrow morning, you can go in and buy it like everyone else."

"No, I sorta...I've kinda..." he smiled, embarrassedly. "I kinda have a bet riding on it."

She looked at him through green eyes. "What sort of bet?"

"My friend Ben...he thinks that this artifact was in the Freemason treasure, but I've told him a trillion times that I've gone through the manifest, and it isn't there. He bet me twenty bucks on it."

"What artifact are you looking for?" Natalie asked, interested now.

"The...uh...the..." he pulled a piece of paper from his pants pocket and opened it. "The Spear of Osiris," he said.

Natalie burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, slightly miffed.

"I'm sorry, sir. I am. But as it happens, I can tell you for fact that the Spear of Osiris is sitting in the British Museum in the Egyptology wing." She smiled apologetically. "It appears you may have misread your manifest a trillion times, Mr. Poole."

"Great. I'm out twenty bucks..." He looked up sharply at her. "How did you..."

"I saw you on the cover of Time magazine two months ago. I thought you looked familiar, but couldn't quite place your face," Natalie replied.

"Funny, usually I'm the guy nobody remembers. Ben's the guy in the public eye," Riley Poole replied.

"Quite the contrary," Natalie gushed, now acting more as a star-struck fan, "when I saw you on the cover of Time, I-I thought you were quite dashing!"

Riley turned a distinct shade of red. "Really?" he choked out. "I-dashing?"

Now it was Natalie's turn to blush. "I apologize," she said quickly. "I'm Natalie O'Connell, a docent here at the Egyptian Museum."

"Nice to meet you," Riley replied. "How do you know all this stuff about the Spear and... stuff?"

She smiled. "Well, as it happens, the book you requested is one of my favorites." She reached into her bag and pulled out a thin, red, leather-bound book. _Adventure in the Sands_ was stenciled across the front in gold writing. Beneath the title, the author's name glittered in the same gold. _Alexander O'Connell_.

Riley looked at the book, then at Natalie. "O'Connell?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, Mr. Poole. Alexander O'Connell was my great-grandfather. He wrote this book." Then she smiled. "From firsthand experience."

"Excuse me?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that..."

She laughed. "Yes. The events in this book actually happened."

He rolled his eyes. "Uh huh. A mummy came back to life."

"Twice," Natalie amended. "Mr. Poole, you teamed up with Benjamin Gates to recover a treasure that was myth, which turned out to be real, yet you can't believe this story?"

Riley opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head. "No. Not really."

Natalie shook her head. Of all the people in the world not to believe her. Granted, most visitors didn't buy what they read in the room, but Riley Poole of all people...She wasn't sure why it was so important that he believe her, but it really irked her that he didn't. "Mr. Poole, the museum is closed. It was wonderful to have met you. Perhaps our paths will cross again." _And perhaps they won't. Which would be just fine!_ She whirled around and her heel caught in a crack in the steps. She pitched forward, crying out in surprise.

Riley grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. She slammed into his chest, breathing hard. They stood like that for a few seconds. Natalie looked up into Riley's eyes. They were quite a breathtaking shade of blue.

"You okay?" Riley asked her. He couldn't help but notice her eyes were the color of a brightly polished emerald.

"Fine." Natalie blinked and stepped back. "Just fine. I...Thank you."

"No problem."

She looked at him. "What exactly are you doing in Cairo, Mr. Poole?"

"Well, when Ben and I found the treasure, Ben decided to split up and return it to where it came from. Ben's in China, returning some stuff there. I was just in Greece. Now I'm here."

"So the museum is getting part of the treasure?" Natalie asked, her eyes widening in excitement. "That's-that's amazing! Incredible!"

"Yeah. I go in to sign paperwork tomorrow." Riley said, hefting his bag higher on his shoulder. "So...you work here?"

"I'm a docent," Natalie replied.

"Ah. Gotcha. Cool." He frowned. "And what exactly is that?"

She smiled. "It's a tour guide. Just with a better name."

"Ah. Cool." He shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot. "Well. Maybe I'll take your advice, and check the place out tomorrow."

"You should. The Egyptian Museum is one of the most visited places in Egypt," Natalie quickly agreed. "Good evening to you, Mr. Poole."

"Riley," she heard him say.

She turned. "I'm sorry?"

He shrugged. "Call me Riley. Mr. Poole makes me sound like I'm fifty."

Natalie nodded. "Uhm...okay. Sure. Good evening...Riley." With that, she headed down the stairs again.

She was halfway down the street when she heard a commotion behind her. Turning, she looked back at the museum. Riley Poole appeared to be in an argument with the two men she'd seen in the Imhotep room earlier. Then one of them grabbed his bag. He jerked it away and started to run down the steps. They were right behind him.

_This can't be good_, Natalie thought. She ran toward Riley. "Riley! Come on!" she yelled, reaching back and grabbing his hand. They took off, rounding the corner and heading west. Ahead of them, the Nile snaked black in the Cairo night. Lights on Gezira Island reflected off the water.

"Why-are they...chasing you?" Natalie gasped between steps.

Riley was breathing hard. "They want the Freemason treasure!" he rasped. The river was right ahead of them now.

Just then, a car careened out of nowhere, blocking their escape to the north. Riley and Natalie skidded to a stop. "Go, go go the other way!" Natalie said, shoving him the other direction. But the two men from before had split up.

Natalie stopped in her tracks. There was no way to go...except...

Riley saw it. "No. Nonono, come on, this _can't_ be happening!"

"It's happening!" Natalie said, grabbing his arm again. She took off in the only direction left open to them.

Riley screamed as the Nile River came rushing up to meet him. They both hit the water with a splash.

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**Feedback would be fantastic! Like it? Love it? Hate it? Doesn't matter, please review!**


	2. Lie Low? Yeah, Right!

**Author's Note: Hey, thanks for the reviews, they're much appreciated! **

**If you're reading this please drop me a line or two. Even a 'cool' or 'good' will make my day!**

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**Chapter Two: Lie Low? Yeah, Right!**

Riley's head broke the surface first. He had stayed under for as long as he could. The Nile wasn't the cleanest river in the world and when he'd opened his eyes underwater, all he'd seen was black murk.

_Duh, Riley. It's dark out._ He spit out some water and looked around. Their pursuers seemed to be gone. Then he realized something.

"Natalie?" he coughed, treading water. He didn't see her.

_Great. And I can't see anything underwater_. He sucked in a deep breath to go back down and look for her when she came up a few feet from him, coughing and sputtering.

"Natalie!" he called, paddling over to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think so. Are they gone?"

"I think so." Riley took her hand. "Come on." They started for the opposite bank. Riley hauled himself onto the grass and pulled Natalie up behind him. They lay there on the bank for a few minutes, breathing hard. "Well," Riley said. "That was new."

"Do you try to get all the girls you've just met killed?" Natalie asked him.

He was slightly taken aback. "No. I usually break them in with a little Marine Corps boot camp first," he said. "Besides, I seem to remember _you _were the one who jumped into the river!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry about that whole 'saving your life' thing," she shot back. "Did you have any other ideas, Indiana Jones?"

Riley stared up at the streetlight. "Actually, no," he admitted. "I'm not very good at this whole clandestine adventurer thing," he said. "That's more Ben's job- he's more the Indiana Jones type than I am." He sat up and began rifling through his bag. "Speaking of which...Ben should probably know about this." He grimaced and pulled his hand out, then dumped his bag out. Water spilled out, and his cell phone followed the stream. "Great."

Natalie propped herself up on her elbow. "What?"

"My cell phone's dead. Guess that's what happens when you take it for a swim." Riley looked over at Natalie. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a pay phone, would you?"

Natalie sighed. She stood up. "Come on."

Riley looked up at her. "Where?"

"You can use my phone to call Mr. Gates," Natalie said. "You can't go back to your hotel because if those men are looking for you, that's the first place they'll go." Then, she smiled. "You're really not good at this whole adventurer thing, are you?"

He found himself smiling back. "Not yet." He jumped to his feet and followed her down the road to the bridge. "But I'm learning."

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Natalie O'Connell lived in the ninth floor of an apartment building that had a great view of the roof of the Egyptian Museum from it. "You don't distance yourself from work very well, huh?" Riley said.

Natalie shot him a glare. "Do you want my help or not, Mr. Poole?"

He held up his hand. "Sorry." He looked around her place. It was a small one-bedroom apartment. On her table sat a laptop, but it was mostly buried by papers and photos. Books were stacked wherever there was space. The lone bookshelf was packed two deep. Pictures of the pyramids, the Sphinx and a location Riley didn't recognize were plastered on the walls. "So you're into Egypt, huh?" he asked. It was a stupid question. But Natalie didn't seem to notice. She had pulled the little red book from her bag and was trying to dry it out with a blowdryer.

"I've always been in love with this country," Natalie said. She turned the blowdryer off and looked at him. "My mother was from here. My dad came to Cairo on business. He went on a tour of the pyramids, met her there. She was a tour guide. They hit it off right away. They got married at the Great Pyramid." She handed Riley a photo. In it was a smiling man with black hair and Natalie's eyes. The woman was gorgeous, obviously from the area. Cheops's pyramid loomed in the backdrop. A stray camel had wandered into the picture on the left side. "Maybe a little cheesy, I know, but my mother loved the pyramids."

Then she pointed. "My phone's um..." she craned her neck, "um, it's under there somewhere."

"Oh." Riley stepped over a pile of books on the floor and cautiously looked under a mound of paper. "Ah. Yeah. There it is." He picked it up. "This'll be long distance to China..."

Natalie shrugged. "Oh, it's okay. I think I can make an exception in this situation, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah I guess so." Riley picked up the phone and dialed. He saw Natalie go into the bathroom, carrying the book and blowdryer. She shut the door, but he could still hear the low hum of the dryer.

_"Hello_?"

"Ben!" Riley said. "Hey, uh...how's China?"

"_You caught me about to go onstage for a lecture," _Benjamin Gates replied from half a world away. "_What is it?"_

"Ben...um, you need to come to Cairo. Soon. There's these guys after the treasure." Riley said, then waited.

There was a pause. _"Are you okay?"_ Ben asked, his tone concerned.

Riley nodded, then realized Ben couldn't see that. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I met this girl that works at the Egyptian Museum. We're at her place."

_"Riley, I'm getting on the next plane. Lie low for a while_," Ben said. "_Be careful."_

"Gotcha," Riley said. Then, "Oh yeah, I owe you twenty bucks."

Ben chuckled. _"You can pay me later, like when you're out of mortal danger. Abigail and I are coming, Riley. Stay safe_."

"See you soon," Riley replied. He hung up just as Natalie came out of the bathroom, _Adventure in the Sands_ in hand.

"Did you get through to your friend in China?" Natalie asked.

Riley nodded. "He's on his way here. He said to lie low for a while." He looked at the little book. "Is it okay?"

She didn't know what he was talking about at first. Then she remembered the book. "Oh! Yes. Yes, it's fine. A little water stained, but all right."

Awkward silence. "So..." Natalie said. "Do you want to-to sit down?" Then she looked at her couch. "Oh. Um...here." She stepped past him and picked up a pile of books and set them on the floor in an open space. "There. There you go."

"Uh, thanks." Riley took the spot on the couch. Natalie found the remaining open patch of floor and sat down there.

Awkward silence. "So, Natalie. How did you end up working at the museum?" Riley asked her.

Natalie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was a librarian in the archives," she replied. "Actually, it was the same job that my great-great grandmother had when she first came to Egypt."

"Really? So...how'd she end up in Egypt?" Riley asked.

"Her parents lived here. My great-great grandmother Evelyn Carnahan was born and raised in Egypt, then went back to England for school. She came back here and got a job."

"Is she in the book?" Riley asked her, nodding to it.

Natalie caressed the cover of the book lovingly. Her fingers traced the script. "My great-grandfather mentions her several times. She almost died once," Natalie explained.

Riley nodded to the little book. "You should tell me about it," he said. Then, embarrassed, "I mean, if you want to. You don't have to, I just figured...y'know, since we're gonna be here a while...or at least 'til Ben gets into town...maybe..."

Natalie held up a hand. "It's quite all right, Riley. This is a story I enjoy telling." She opened the book. "You see, Riley, my great grandfather Rick O'Connell was a French Legionnaire. He met Evelyn here in Egypt. She was with her brother Jonathan. They were on an expedition to find the City of the Dead, Hamunaptra." She pointed above his head. "That's the picture there."

Riley craned his neck to look behind him. The poster of the place he was unfamiliar with was the one she was talking about. "Anyway...it was them and a group of American explorers. Unwittingly, Grandma Evy released the spirit of Imhotep. Imhotep wanted to bring his lover, Anck-su-Namun, the mistress of Pharaoh Seti back to life-"

"I read this part on the Internet," Riley cut in. "Supposedly Imhotep was killed, his spirit sent back to the underworld."

Natalie smiled. "That is correct, Mr. Poole," she said. "Now fast forward about ten years, and that's when _Adventure in the Sands_ takes place. My great-grandfather Alex was eight at the time. He was on an expedition with his mother and father in Egypt. Evelyn found the bracelet of Anubis. They brought it back to London, where they were attacked by followers of Imhotep, people who wanted to raise him back to life. Fortunately, Ardeth stepped in-"

"Who?" Riley cut in.

Natalie bit her lip. "Sorry. I've read this book so many times I feel as if I practically know everyone in it, though I've never met any of them. Ardeth Bey was a leader of a tribe of Medjai, ancient guardians of the pharaoh. It was their job to keep the location of Imhotep secret."

"Sounds like they did a bang-up job," Riley said.

"It wasn't their fault," Natalie told him. "There was a woman, Meela. She was Anck-su-Namun reincarnated. She found Imhotep. Ardeth followed them back to London. He tried to protect Grandma Evelyn, but they took her. Rick, Jonathan, Ardeth and Alex went after her."

"Did they save her?" Riley asked, intrigued now. It all seemed so unbelievable, and yet he was fascinated.

She nodded. "It was quite the firefight, or so says Grandpa Alex."

Just then, Natalie heard the sound of breaking glass. She looked up at Riley. He'd heard it too. Natalie went over to the window and looked down. "Oh, no."

"What?" Riley asked, coming over to the window.

She pointed. "Your friends have returned."

"How did they..." Riley shook his head. "Great."

"We have to get out of here." Natalie grabbed _Adventure in the Sands_, a few maps and the photo of her parents. She stuff them into a backpack and shouldered it. "Riley, come on." She eased open her door. "Come on!"

Riley followed her out. _So much for lying low_.


	3. A Safe Place

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "The Mummy" they belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal. I also don't own the characters of "National Treasure" because they belong to Jerry Bruckhemier, Jon Turtletaub and Disney, I think.**

**Author's Note: I pulled the Egyptian names/meanings off a website I Googled. Akila Bahiti is actually two female first names, which would make her husband and her son both have a female last name. I couldn't think of/find any good last names. Just so you know.**

**Much thank to the folks that are reviewing!**

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**Chapter 3: A Safe Place**

The fire escape rattled beneath Riley's feet as he followed Natalie out onto it. She turned and pressed a finger to her lips. "Hush, Riley!"

He stopped, looked down, and raised his eyebrows. "Did you just tell me to 'hush"?" he asked her.

She raised her eyes skyward. Then, "Come on, down we go." She started climbing down the rickety grate stairs.

Riley followed her slowly down. "This is insane," he grumbled.

They got to the fifth floor when Riley and Natalie heard yelling from above them. Riley looked up through the grates. The two men were standing in the window of the hallway near Natalie's apartment, looking out. Then down.

And Riley locked eyes with one. And he didn't like what he saw. "Natalie!" he yelled. "Go faster!"

She turned, looked up. "Wonderful!" She started taking the stairs two at a time. Riley clambered down behind her.

Something pinged into the railing dangerously close to Riley's hand. It sparked. "They're shooting at us!" he yelled. He got to the first floor landing and jumped the rail into the alley behind the building.

"Come on!" Natalie led him out into the streets. Cairo's nightlife was just beginning to come alive. She led Riley right into the thick of traffic. Horns blared, and people swore at him in Arabic. And sometimes in English.

"Where are we going?" Riley yelled up to Natalie.

"The subway!" Natalie called back. "Don't stop running!"

Another shot pinged off a car next to Riley's head. Riley ducked and swore under his breath. He dared to look back. "What the-"

The two men from the apartment building were right behind him. But there was no way they could have made it down all nine flights of stairs in time to catch up... Riley ignored the thoughts for now and kept running.

Natalie ducked into a restaurant, Riley close on her heels. They bolted through the dining area. Several patrons yelled at them and shook their fists. Riley slammed into a server with a tray, sending food flying. He pulled a chair from an empty table and stuck it in the aisle, hoping to slow their attackers.

Natalie ran into the kitchen, dodging cooks and servers like a slalom skier. Riley was right behind her. Another shot pinged off a pot hanging from the stove. Riley heard someone cry out in pain and hoped they were all right.

Natalie hadn't looked back to see if Riley was still behind her. She burst into the alley behind the restaurant and ducked behind a trash bin. She waited.

A few moments later, someone else burst out the back door. "Riley!" Natalie yelled from her hiding place. "Riley, here!"

He spotted her and jogged over. "I think..." he said, catching his breath, "that we lost them."

The back door burst open. Riley shook his head. "Guess not!"

Natalie grabbed his hand again and took off. Riley barely had time to take a breath before he was running again. She led them into oncoming traffic again. _If those guys don't kill us, the cars will!_ Riley thought as he ran. He resisted the urge to yell back at the drivers and pedestrians that were chewing him out in Arabic. Mostly because he didn't know a lick of Arabic.

More shots rang out. One slammed into the streetlight right next to Natalie's head. She cried out in surprise, but kept running. _What would Grandpa Alex do_? Then she saw it. "Riley! Help me!"

She was standing in front of a newspaper stand. "Excuse me, sir, we need to borrow this," Natalie said. Unfortunately for her, he didn't speak English, and thought she was trying to rob him. He started spouting off in Arabic. Natalie took a handful of paper and magazines and gestured to Riley to do the same. "On three!" she yelled. "One! Two! _Three!_" Natalie threw her handful backwards and up into the air. Riley followed suit. The hail of paper and glossy magazines raining down slowed their attackers a little.

"We can't keep this up much longer!" Natalie panted. "The subway station is still another four blocks, and I can't run in these bloody shoes any more!" To prove her point, she peeled her heels off and threw them into the street. They banged off a cab. The driver rolled the window down and shook his fist.

Which gave Riley an idea. "Natalie!" he yelled, ducking into the street. "Come on!"

He opened the cabbie's door. "Sorry, pal," he said, grabbing the driver by the collar and throwing him out onto the pavement. Natalie followed him, climbing into the passenger's seat. "Drive!" she yelled.

Riley hit the gas pedal and the cab peeled out into the street. After a few moments, he checked the rearview. "I don't see them." He was breathing hard. He looked over at Natalie. In his best British accent, he asked, "Where to, miss?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Don't ever do that again," she said. "Take this exit, here."

"Where are we going?" Riley asked in a normal tone.

Natalie pointed. The Great Pyramids loomed in the distance. "Giza," she said. "We're going to Giza."

"What's in Giza?" Riley asked her.

"Turn here," she instructed. "A college friend of mine. Her name is Akila. Maybe we can hide with her for a bit."

They were silent for a few moments. Then Riley said, "So. What happened after your great-grandpa and those guys saved your grandma?"

Natalie smiled. She pulled the book out again. "Let's see. Where was I?" She flipped through the pages. "Ah. Here we are. After Grandpa Alex, Rick, Jonathan and Ardeth burst into the museum, they discovered that Imhotep had already been brought back to life. The men saved my grandmother and took off through the streets of London." She snorted. "Hmph, much like we have been."

Riley chuckled. "Long as no mummies come back to life. Keep going?"

"Uh, no. Next exit," Natalie said. "Anyway, Imhotep released an army of high priest mummies. Tough fiends. But in the end, they were dead and everyone thought they were safe."

"And, of course, they weren't," Riley said.

"Exactly. No sooner had they stopped than the man Lock-Nah took Grandpa Alex and shoved him into a car."

"And he was wearing the bracelet, right?"

"Yes," Natalie said. "How did you-"

"Internet," Riley shrugged. "They thought the Bracelet of Anubis would lead them to where the Scorpion King was buried."

"Precisely," Natalie said, impressed. "Here. Turn here."

Akila Bahiti lived in a small house that almost sat virtually in the shadow of Cheops's Great Pyramid. Riley parked the cab a distance away and they walked back to the house. Natalie knocked on the door and waited. Riley heard someone inside crying, and then footsteps that stopped at the door. "Who is it?" a female voice called.

"Akila, it's Natalie!" Natalie called back.

There was a pause. Then the door opened.

Akila Bahiti was 25, with long black hair and tanned skin. She had large almond-shaped eyes that were ocean blue. Her face lit up when she saw Natalie. "Nat!" she squealed, throwing her arms around her. Natalie returned the hug. "It's _so_ good to see you!" Akila said. She held her at arms' length. "I haven't seen you in forever! What are you doing in Giza? I thought you were working in England?"

Natalie smiled. "I was. Then I moved here. There was an opening at the Egyptian Museum. I'm a docent."

"That's wonderful!" Akila squeezed Natalie hand. Then she looked past Natalie to where Riley was standing. "Who's your friend?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Natalie turned. "Akila, this is Riley Poole."

Akila's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait. _The_ Riley Poole?"

Riley's face turned red. "Yup, that'd be me."

"I saw you on the cover of _Newsweek_," Akila gushed. "My husband was very jealous."

"I was not!" a voice called from the other room.

Akila, ushered Natalie and Riley inside. She led them into the kitchen. A man sat there with a little baby boy. "Natalie, this is my husband Hasani," Akila said. "And the handsome little fellow next to him is Sudi."

Natalie looked at the little boy. "Sudi. The name means 'lucky,'" she said. She looked at Akila questioningly.

Akila smiled softly. "He was premature. But he made it. My lucky one," she said, looking at him. Then she turned to Natalie. "Sit, sit," she said, nodding to the couch. Natalie took a seat. Riley opted to stand. "So, Miss Natalie. What brings you to my home at-" she checked her watch- "9:30 at night?"

"Actually, Akila," Natalie began, "we're in a bit of trouble."

Akila and her husband exchanged looks. "What sort of trouble?" Hasani asked.

"Well," Natalie bit her lip and looked at Riley for help.

"I, uh...well, there's these guys that're after Egypt's part of the Freemason treasure," Riley said. "They've pretty much chased us all over Cairo."

Akila spread her hands and looked at them. "Well, you obviously don't have the treasure on you, so why chase you?" she asked.

Riley shrugged. "That's what I can't figure out. These guys...I dunno." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Okay, see, here's the thing. The treasure is coming in on a plane from New York City tomorrow. It's inside a box that requires a passcode. Ben has the code and so do I."

"But then why not wait?" Hasani asked Riley.

"Because it's pointless to try to steal the treasure if they can't get into the box. But if they had Riley, maybe..." Natalie thought about it. Then she snapped her fingers. "All right. They take Riley. Then they...I don't know, they threaten him either for the combination...or they have him do it himself."

Riley winced. "You've put a lot of thought into this, huh?"

Natalie shook her head. "Blame my overactive imagination," she said by way of apology. "Akila, I know we're probably putting you out. But we need a place to hide out for the night."

Hasani whispered something to his wife. Akila nodded. "Hasani has a garage down the street. You can stay there."

"Thank you," Natalie told him. He gave her directions and told her where the hidden key was.

Akila walked them to the door. She gave Natalie a hug. "You stay safe, my friend," she told her.

Natalie hugged her back. "I will. You take care of that little boy," she said. "And I expect to see you more than once every five years."

"I'll keep in better touch," Natalie promised.

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The streets were dark, but Natalie found the garage with ease. **Hasani's Auto**, the hand-painted sign read. Natalie found the hidden key in the oilcan bottom in the tire next to the door. She opened the door and flicked on the light.

"Here," she said, gesturing to the car that was sitting there. "You want the front seat or the back?"

Riley smiled. He pointed to a pile of rags in a corner. "You take the backseat. I'll sleep there."

"You can't possibly be serious," Natalie said. "Riley-"

"I'm not arguing with you," he said flatly. "I'm too tired to care." He took his bag off to use as a pillow, lay back on the pile and closed his eyes. "Good night, Natalie."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "So stubborn," she whispered, hitting the light switch and climbing into the car.

"I heard that," Riley mumbled from his corner.


	4. A Friend Steps In

Chapter Four: A Friend Steps In

Three-thirty local time, Riley was wishing he would have taken the backseat of the car. The rags kept getting flat, and his head kept hitting the flashlight stowed in his bag. He had just turned over again when he saw the shadows on the wall. _Great_. Riley crawled over to the window and peeked out over the sill.

The two men in black were back. This time, though, instead of suits, they were sporting black robes. _Of course._ Riley crawled back across the dirt floor and tugged on Natalie's shoe. "Natalie," he whispered. He shook her gently. "Natalie!"

She opened one eye. "You'd better have a good reason for waking me," she groused.

"Our buddies are back," Riley said. "We gotta get outta here."

Natalie reached for her glasses. "There's only one door," she reminded him. "How do you expect to get past them?"

Riley shouldered his backpack and winced as the MagLite flashlight bumped into his back. Then he had a thought. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out the heavy red flashlight. Then, he chucked it out the back window.

They heard loud shouting in Arabic. "I think they bought it!" Riley said. "Let's go!" He threw his backpack on again and headed for the door, Natalie right behind him.

The pyramids cast shadows over the tiny city of Giza. The full moon provided some light, but not much. "Where should we go?" Riley asked.

Natalie thought about it. "The pyramids," she said. "We may have to sneak past night guards, but I'd rather the guards be up and ready to get our friends than come after us."

"How do they keep finding us?" Riley wondered. "We left them in the dust in Cairo, and all of a sudden, here they are."

Natalie had wondered that too. Then she thought of something. "Riley. Hand me your bag."

He did, and Natalie shuffled through it. "Bloody hell," she swore.

"What?"

She held a finger to her lips and pulled a small black disk from his bag. "GPS," she whispered.

His eyes widened. "How in the world?"

"The fight at the museum," Natalie said. She took the dot and dropped it on the road, then slammed her heel down on it, shattering it. "Let's see them track us now," she said.

"We can't go to the pyramids- they would have heard that," Riley said.

"We'll have to go the opposite direction, then," Natalie decided.

"Natalie, all that's left is desert. Dying under a 130 degree sun is not the way I planned to go. Plus, Ben and Abigail will be in Cairo soon."

"We'll only go into the desert a little way," Natalie argued. "There's a small town nearby that caters mostly to tourists who want to do the desert on camels. We can hide there until morning, then go back to Cairo and meet your friends."

Riley thought it over. "Okay, that just might work."

She smiled. "I've gotten us this far, haven't I?" she said.

"Yeah." He found himself smiling back. He didn't like the way this trip to Egypt was turning out...but he definitely didn't mind the company. "How far is this camel town of yours?"

She pointed. "Five or six miles. They wanted to get just out of sight of the city, make tourists feel like they're in the middle of nowhere."

"You want to walk that?" Riley asked.

"You have another idea?"

He pointed. "Well, yeah."

A small car was sitting off to the side of the road. "Oh, Riley. Not another stolen vehicle."

"Beats walking," Riley argued.

"Riley, this is Egypt. People just don't leave their cars unlocked with keys in them."

To her utter surprise, Riley walked up to the car, pulled the door open. "Lucky. And it's called hotwiring," he said. At her surprised look, he shrugged. "I spend a lot of time on the Internet."

Natalie said, "You never cease to amaze me, Riley."

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Riley had never actually hotwired a car before. But it only took him a couple tries before the engine was running. "All right, your chariot awaits," he teased Natalie, climbing out of the car.

Natalie hopped into the driver's seat. "I know where I'm going, you don't," she said.

He waved a hand. "You're the local," he said. "After you." He climbed into the passenger seat, and Natalie eased the car out and onto the road. She put it on course for the little tourist camp town. They had barely driven half a mile when Natalie saw headlights in the rearview. "I don't believe it!"

"How?" Riley demanded. "Did they plant one somewhere else on me?" His face turned sour. "Not a pleasing thought."

"I don't know," Natalie said, stepping on the gas.

The headlights grew larger in the mirror. "Uh, Natalie, I don't want to be paranoid, but I think they're-"

A jolt sent him slamming into the dashboard, then back into his seat. "-trying to ram us!" Riley finished.

"Riley, hold on!" Natalie fought to keep the car on the road. "Damn it. Riley, I don't think I can keep this on the road."

"Then pull off, but do it somewhere with some cover!" The car behind them rammed them again, sending Riley into the dashboard again. "I can't believe this; this is worse than Ian and his thugs!"

"Riley, you'll jinx us!" Natalie said, pulling the car inbetween a line of palm trees on the road. "Go, go get out, go!" Both of them threw their doors open, and took off running. "Riley! Head for the tourist place!"

"Natalie, that's all wide open!"

"I know, I know, but we've got no choice, just go!"

Riley hit the sand, his feet sinking a bit. "Great. I wish I was a camel," he groused.

Something landed in the sand next to his feet with a _pfffft_ sound. "Natalie, I think they're shooting at us!"

"Just _run_, Riley!" Natalie was just ahead of him. "Hurry, come on!" Deep down in her heart, she knew there was no way they'd make the little tourist town. They couldn't outrun the guns for very long.

Something slammed into Riley's shoulder. It pitched him forward into the sand. He cried out in pain. Natalie heard him fall, turned around. "Riley!"

"Go, get outta here!" Riley yelled to her.

"Yeah right. We're in this together!" She came back, dodging gunfire. "Riley. Your shoulder..."

"Yeah, yeah, I can feel it."

"You have to run!" Natalie said, trying to pull him to his feet. But Riley was in too much pain to move. He collapsed back to the sand, pulling Natalie with him.

Natalie cradled him in her arms as two men approached bearing AK-47s. "You will come with us," one of them said, a voice that made Natalie very, very nervous.

"Like hell," she replied. One of them raised the butt of the gun to hit her.

She heard a crack, and he toppled backwards. The other man looked up, his eyes went wide, and he backed off, in fact, took off _running_ the other direction.

Natalie looked up at the three approaching men. _Great. Things just got worse_. They were holding guns as well, but she could also make out that one of them had a scimitar. The one in the lead was hard to see. He worse black robes and a black headdress. Natalie could just make out some dark tattoos underneath his eyes.

"Please. Come with us," he said, offering her a hand.

Gingerly, Natalie got to her feet. "Careful, he's-" she broke off as they gently picked up Riley, who by now was barely conscious, and helped him onto a horse. One sat behind him to keep him from falling off. The other got on his own horse.

Natalie looked at their rescuer. There was something so familiar about him that she couldn't quite place it.

"You get into much trouble," he said, helping her onto his horse, a beautiful black animal. Then she heard him smile. "Just like your great-grandfather." He urged his horse into a gallop.

Natalie's eyes went wide. "Oh, no. No way!"

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	5. The Desert Works in Mysterious Ways

**Disclaimer:I don't own the characters from National Treasure; they belong to Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer and Jon Turtletab. I also don't own the characters from the Mummy, they belong to Universal and Stephen Sommers.**

**Author's Note: Hey, thanks to my reviewers: xxroxy-dogxx, dasiyduke80, Riley Poole's number-1 fan and Phantom Creedy lover- you all are AWESOME! Thanks for the feedback, it keeps me going!**

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**Chapter Five: The Desert Works in Mysterious Ways**

The nanosecond the plane came to a stop, Benjamin Gates and Abigail Chase-Gates were out in the hot Egyptian heat. "I can't get Riley's phone," Ben said. "And the number he called me from the other night belongs to a Natalie O'Connell, and she's not answering, either."

"I hope he's all right," Abigail said. She tossed her blonde hair into a messy ponytail. The heat was near unforgiving, a far cry from China, which was experiencing a lot of rain. "Ben, what in the world is going on?"

"I have no idea," he replied. "But first things first. Let's get a hotel room. Then we can start asking around. I know Riley was at the Egyptian Museum because he told me he lost our bet." He smiled ruefully. "I think I'll let him keep his twenty bucks after this, though." He shrugged. "Anyway, we can start there, at least."

"Ben, Egypt is huge. How are we supposed to find him out there?" Abigail waved a hand toward the skyline to prove her point.

"Riley will try to get back to the airport later tonight. That's when the plane with the FBI and Treasury Department agents is touching down with the treasure," Ben explained. He looked out over the city. "I just hope he gets there."

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Riley opened his eyes very, _very_ slowly. His right shoulder was on fire. His vision swam, but the picture finally cleared. He was lying down inside a tent, although it more or less resembled a bunch of rugs or blankets strung up on wires. Whatever he was lying on, though, was _really_ comfortable.

"You're awake!" Natalie O'Connell said excitedly. She had just come into the space and was looking down at him. Riley felt his breath catch.

Natalie's long hair was up in a simple bun, showing off her high cheekbones. She wore a simple, traditional-looking outfit that was a royal blue with gold accenting. The top only went down to her belly button, leaving a thin strip of skin exposed. She had a belly-button ring. Riley was surprised. And impressed.

And in _love_. "Wow," he managed. "You look great."

Suddenly self-conscious, Natalie crossed her arms over her stomach. "I- well...it's all they had," she said.

"I won't complain-Ow!" Riley had held up both his hands in surrender, and realized that his hand was attached to his arm, which was attached to his shoulder, which now burned like hell. "Shouldn't have done that," he winced.

"Baby," Natalie teased good-naturedly.

Riley made a face. He lay still for a few moments, looking at the ceiling. "Where are we?"

"About ten miles from the outskirts of Cairo. I actually watched an EgyptAir jet take off from the airport," Natalie said. "Or at least, it was coming from that direction."

"That's great! That means we aren't that far away. We could make it back-"

"Riley, dear, it's 115 degrees outside- and that's in the shade. Your shoulder needs time to mend," Natalie protested.

"You will rest here for the day. Tonight we will help you return to the city," a new voice said. It was deep and rich, with a thick and definite Middle-Eastern sound to it. Riley looked up at him. He was in his late-thirties, he guessed, with dark brown eyes and tattoos under his eyes. He was wearing all black, and his curly black hair fell to his shoulder blades.

"Who's your friend?" Riley asked Natalie.

Natalie and the new arrival both exchanged looks. "Uh," Natalie began, looking at Riley. "Well, I'm not entirely sure how to put this. I...Riley, may I introduce you to Ardeth Bey."

"Ardeth Bey..." Riley tried the name out. "Hold up, that name sounds really familiar."

Natalie handed him her copy of _Adventure in the Sands_. She flipped open to a hand-drawn portrait by Alexander O'Connell. The drawing was done in the 1950s, but the face was unmistakable.

This was the same man.

Riley's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait a second. This drawing was done in the 50s. The story happened in the 30s. But you haven't aged at _all_, or you age really well or something, because this picture...and _you_..."

Ardeth smiled gently and held up a hand, silencing Riley. "The desert works in mysterious ways, my friend. Do not think so hard."

Riley nodded, still in shock. "Not a problem."

Ardeth's eyes flickered to the young man's shoulder. "How is your shoulder today?" he asked.

"It hurts a lot," Riley admitted.

"We removed the bullet," Ardeth explained, "and patched you up the best we were able, but we are very primitive when it comes to medicine. When we get back to Cairo, you may want to have someone look at it."

"Sounds good," Riley said, touching his shoulder gingerly. "Hey, listen. Thanks," he told Ardeth. "I mean, I'm not sure how all this is happening, but..."

Ardeth nodded to him. "Do not worry about it. Rest. Tell me about this treasure you are supposed to be protecting."

"It's the Knight's Templar treasure, the Freemason treasure," Riley began. "Slowly, over the years, they added to it, things from every corner of the earth." He looked at Natalie's strange look and smiled. "Ben usually tells it better. Anyway, when it got to the Americas, the freemasons hid the treasure so the British couldn't get to it, but they left a series of clues so it could eventually be found again. It just so happens that Ben's family was the last family in charge of it. He found me, and me and his buddy Ian went looking for it. And then Ian went bad, and Ben met a girl, and we had this whole big treasure hunt thing, and we nearly died, and then we found the treasure and decided we were going to give it back to wherever it came from. I was supposed to return part of it to the Egyptian Museum, but that was before we started on this little adventure."

"Who are the men who are after you?"

"Not a clue." Riley said. "I haven't the foggiest. But the sooner we get the treasure somewhere where it can be protected, the better I'll sleep at night."

"Where is it now?" Ardeth asked.

"On its way over here on a cargo plane," Riley explained. "There are US FBI and Treasury agents on it. I was supposed to meet them at the airport to authorize the transfer." He sounded exhausted.

Natalie squeezed his hand, sending shivers up and down his spine. She handed him a wooden cup with water in it. "Here." He took a few sips and lay back. "Rest. We'll wake you tonight."

Riley nodded and squeezed her hand gingerly back. "Sounds good," he breathed. He closed his eyes, and was soon asleep again. Natalie watched him for a few moments before ducking under the tent flap and joining Ardeth outside. She sucked in a breath- the temperature change even from inside the tent to the sand outside was unforgiving. Natalie glanced around at the tent camp. There were at least twenty or thirty people that Natalie had counted, most of them men around Ardeth's age or older, some women and a few scattered children around. It was hard to believe that they lived this way and were practically within earshot of Cairo, Egypt, one of the world's most thriving metropolises.

She looked up at Ardeth. The older man was looking thoughtfully out on the desert. He finally felt her eyes on him and he looked down on her with a smile. "What is it?"

Natalie felt extremely embarrassed. "I...no offense, really, but Riley's right-how are you standing here? You'd have to be pushing a hundred and-" she gave him the once-over. He was definitely _not_ horrible-looking. The eyes, his hair, the whole mysterious air- "you're nowhere close."

Ardeth nodded. "So inquisitive. Like your great-grandfather."

Natalie acknowledged him with a smile. "He would be in to this whole adventure thing. My grandfather and father, too. Guess it runs in the family." She studied him. "But you didn't answer my question." It was the academic in her, she just couldn't help it.

"As I told your friend," Ardeth said, "the desert works in mysterious ways. Perhaps, just as I protected your great-grandfather and his parents, so have I been called to protect you on your journey as well."

Natalie thought about it. It wasn't exactly an answer- but it wasn't half-bad, either. She could accept that. "What would make the Medjai so interested in the treasure, Ardeth?" she asked.

The descendant of the ancient guardians of Pharaoh was silent for a moment. Then he showed her his hand. Natalie couldn't detect what was wrong with the picture. "I-I don't..."

"The Ring of the Medjai," Ardeth said by way of explanation. "It was given to the first of our line millennia ago. It was given to him by the first pharaoh of Egypt to show his thanks for the Medjai's loyalty. The night High Priest Imhotep murdered Pharaoh Seti, the leader of the Medjai who went after Imhotep was wearing that ring. In the fight to capture Imhotep, the ring was lost."

"So how do you know it's with the treasure?" Natalie asked him.

Ardeth didn't answer at first. "Truthfully? I don't. But even if the ring is not with the treasure, some of it belongs to pharaohs our people protected for generations." He shrugged- it looked very out of character, and Natalie couldn't help but smile. "It seems right that we make sure it goes to the museum."

Natalie nodded. "You take your duty very seriously even though Imhotep is gone and there are no pharaohs anymore," she said to him.

He looked out on the desert. "Duty is all we have," he said simply.

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**Drop me a line- how'm I doin'?**


	6. Things Are Never Easy

**Author's Note: Thanks so much to my reviewers, your reviews keep me going! Enjoy Chapter 6!**

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**Chapter Six: Things Are Never Easy**

He was snoring.

Natalie couldn't help but laugh softly in the dark as she stood over Riley, watching him sleep. He was so cute. She hated to wake him, but Ardeth and some other of the Medjai were waiting to escort them back to Cairo. She knelt down and shook his left shoulder gently. "Riley."

He stirred, but didn't wake up. Natalie shook her head. "RILEY!" she said forcefully, shaking him again.

His eyes snapped open. "Wha- oh,. Hey," he said, waiting for eyes to adjust to the dark. "Time already?"

"'Fraid so," Natalie replied. She helped him get up. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he admitted. "Shoulder's pretty numb, though. Not sure if that's good or bad."

"We'll have to get someone to check you over," Natalie said.

"You applying for the position?" Riley teased.

"Riley!" Natalie said, surprised at his forwardness.

He grinned. "Just wanted to see how you'd react," he said, brushing past her and stepping outside.

Ardeth and two others were waiting for them. "How is your shoulder?" Ardeth asked Riley.

"All right, for now," Riley said. He heard Natalie step up beside him. "Time to get going. Ben should be waiting for us."

"Can you ride?" Ardeth asked Riley, gesturing to one of the horses standing nearby.

Riley winced. "Uh, last time I was on a horse, I was twelve, and it bucked me off," he confessed. "Haven't been on one since."

Natalie snickered behind him. "He can ride with me," she said.

"Yeah, I'll ride with her," Riley said agreeably. He tried to lift one leg up to climb on the horse, but found that he couldn't do it with his shoulder...plus the fact that he hadn't been on a horse in twenty years. Finally, one of the other Medjai stepped up and practically lifted him into the saddle. Natalie swept up behind him like she'd been an equestrian her entire life.

"Show-off," Riley mumbled good-naturedly.

"Give me mouth and I'll drop you at the nearest sand dune," Natalie threatened. She nudged the horse into a canter and followed Ardeth. Two other Medjai took up a flanking position behind them.

"Check out those stars," Riley said about a half hour into the ride. "You don't see stars like that in Washington."

Natalie looked up. "You think the stars are something, you ought to see sunrise over the Great Pyramids."

Riley whistled. "Yeah, I bet it's something else."

"It's amazing," Natalie assured him. "Maybe...maybe when this is all over, you and I can watch one sometime."

He didn't seem to have heard her. He was looking ahead with a happy smile.

"Riley?" Natalie asked, somewhat frustrated that he hadn't heard her.

"Nice to see civilization again," Riley said. The lights of Cairo gleamed in the night. He looked at his watch. "The plane got in a few minutes ago."

"The airport's that way," Natalie said, pointing.

"Then here is where we leave you," Ardeth said, dismounting and standing next to his horse.

Natalie slipped off the horse, helping Riley to the ground. "Ardeth, I don't know how to thank you," she told the older man. "I wish Grandpa Alex was here to see you."

Ardeth smiled gently. "Perhaps we shall meet again," he said simply.

"I hope we do," she replied. Then, impulsively, she threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

He seemed vaguely uncomfortable with that move, but returned the hug. "Be safe, Natalie," he told her. He took the reins of the horse they'd been riding.

Natalie let go, tears welling in her eyes. With a wave, Ardeth and his companions were gone.

Natalie watched until they disappeared from view. Then she turned to Riley. "Come on," she said.

The final flight out of Cairo International was just leaving when Riley and Natalie arrived at the airport. The first thing Riley did was find a pay phone and put in a call to Ben.

"_Hello?"_

"Ben!" Riley said, relieved. "Boy, it's good to hear your voice."

"_Where are you_?" Ben asked urgently. "_Are you okay_?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine." Riley looked at Natalie and grinned. "We're at the airport. Where do you want us to meet you?"

_"There's a hangar behind Gate 16B_," Ben replied. "_Go there. Abigail and I will be there soon."_

_"_Sounds good,_" _Riley said. "See you then." He hung up and turned to Natalie. "Can you direct me to Gate 16B?"

Natalie nodded. "I think it's that way," she said. As they walked through the airport, Natalie asked him, "Riley? What...um...what will happen after you sign the treasure over to the museum?"

Riley thought about it. "Well, I'll probably go back to the States, I guess," he said.

Natalie tried not to show her disappointment. "Oh. Well, I suppose you would. I mean, there's no reason for you to stay in Egypt, is there?"

He shook his head. "No, I guess not."

Natalie bit her lower lip to keep the tears from falling. "Right. Here we are, then," she said shortly. She pointed to the exit. "Go out that door, and the hangar is right across."

Riley started for the door, turned, and looked at Natalie in confusion. "Natalie? You-you aren't coming?"

She shook her head, and a tear slipped down her face. "No. I really should get home," she said. "I'll have to explain to my boss in the morning why I wasn't at work today, and didn't call in sick."

"I-" Riley began, but Natalie cut him off. "It was wonderful to have met you, Riley," she said. "I wish you all the best." Then, without another word, she was gone.

Riley watched her go in confusion. He had no idea what'd he had said or done wrong.

And then it occurred to him._ Riley, you _idiot! But it was too late to call Natalie back. _I can't believe I just did that,_ he thought sadly. _She just might have been the one Chalk up another screw-up to Riley Poole. I keep this up, it'll be me and my car for the rest of my life._ He looked back, but Natalie had disappeared from view. He sighed. Dejectedly, Riley hurried out of the terminal and headed to the hangar.

The hangar lights were blazing. The plane sat there, gleaming under the fluorescent lights. "Hello?" he called out. His voice echoed off the walls. But he didn't hear an answer. "Hello?"

_Okay. Now I'm officially scared_. He stepped farther into the building. The stairs leading to the plane were down. Riley cautiously climbed them. As he stepped into the interior of the plane, he spotted a couple of men in black suits unconscious on the floor. He sniffed the air. He could just make out a faint sweet smell.

_Knockout gas._

_Oh, great!_

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Natalie practically flew down the corridor. The cleaning crews were just starting to come out and get started on their jobs. _I am _not_ going to let myself cry!_ she told herself. _You only knew the man for two days, Natalie. That's not near enough time to know anything about him...what he likes, what he doesn't...if he might be the one..._

"Ugh, _stop_!" she told herself sternly.

A cleaning man looked up in confusion. Natalie ignored him and kept walking.

_Of course, you can move on. You have your job. You have co-workers that like spending time with you. That will help take your mind off of his hair...and those eyes...and the way he smiles...and the way he says my name..._

She stopped, turned around and started sprinting back for the gate. As she rounded the corner and headed for the door leading outside, she froze.

Outside, she could see two men. Dressed in black robes. Except they didn't look like Medjai. They looked more...sinister.

And they were dragging Riley across the ground.

"Oh, my God," Natalie whispered.

A hand grabbed her shoulder. Natalie whipped around.

"Who are you?" Benjamin Gates demanded.

"You're Benjamin Gates!" Natalie gasped. She looked at the blonde woman next to him. "You must be Abigail Chase. Well, Gates now, I suppose-"

"Save the introductions, sweetheart," Abigail snapped. "Where is Riley?"

Natalie blinked. "Out there! And he's in trouble. It would appear our friends got here before we did."

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**Please review, whether you like it, love it or hate it!**


	7. Blast From the Past

**Author's Note: I don't own the characters from National Treasure- they belong to Jon Turtletaub and Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney. Don't own the characters from The Mummy, either. Those belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal.**

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Chapter 7: Blast From the Past

"Looks like there's only two of them," Ben noted from his position under the windows. He stuck his head out again to make sure. He turned to Natalie. "These are the guys that have been following you both?"

Natalie nodded. "They used a GPS dot in Riley's bag." She snuck a peek across at the hangar. "After we found it, they must have just decided to wait for us here- we had to show up eventually."

"Any ideas, Ben?" Abigail asked her husband.

He was deep in thought. He held up a finger, telling his wife to give him a second. "I wish I knew what happened to the agents on board," he admitted. "Natalie, were they armed? Could you see any weapons?"

She closed her eyes, picturing it. "No," she said. "I don't think so."

"So we can probably make the assumption that the FBI and Treasury guys still have their sidearms, they're just unconscious." Ben deduced. "So if we can get to them first..."

"Then we have the advantage," Abigail finished. "We could take them by surprise."

_I don't really care how we do it, let's just do it fast before something happens to Riley!_ Natalie thought.

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Riley felt like he was dying.

Okay, he didn't exactly know how dying felt.

But he was in pain.

A lot of it, actually.

Everything from his head to his waist and down his arms ached. A combination of his busted shoulder, side effects of the knockout gas, and the fact that he hit cement like a ton of bricks as soon as he inhaled it. His shoulder was screaming at him in protest.

He heard talking and opened his eyes slowly. No sense in giving his eyes a shock, too. He spotted the two men who had been chasing him and Natalie all night trying to figure out how to open the cargo bay.

The cargo bay was configured with a keypad. Instead of being able to manually open it from the cockpit, it required a six-digit passkey. Ben knew the code, and so did Riley.

And Riley wasn't going to give it to them. He just hoped Ben showed up before these two guys made him change his mind.

One of them turned. Riley quickly closed his eyes, hoping to make them think he was still out. He heard footsteps. They stopped inches from his head. Riley tried to slow his breathing.

A foot slammed into his ribs made all thoughts fly from his mind. His eyes shot open and he gasped in pain. _So much for trying to pull one over on them. _"Hi, guys," he said. "Nice to run into you boys again. Good to see you found the place."

Their response was another foot slammed into his side. Riley yelled again. "Ow! All right, already, I get it! What do you want?"

"We want the passcode," one growled at him. He hauled Riley to his feet by his shirt collar. "Give it to us, and we will let you and the other men live."

"Somehow I doubt that," Riley said cynically, and instantly regretted it. The blow to his stomach keeled him over, and he gasped for air. _How am I supposed to give the code to them if I can't even breathe?_ He was jerked upright again. His vision swam. His shoulder was killing him.

One of the guys, Riley thought of him as Scarface, because he sported this jagged-looking scar from his nose to his ear, dragged him around to the back of the plane. "Mr. Poole, the code, please." He leaned close to Riley's ear. "Next time I won't be as polite," he whispered menacingly.

Right then, Riley knew what he had to do. "Okay. Okay, I'll give it to you."

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The breeze wasn't much, but it helped calm Natalie's nerves. She was outside, ducked down behind a stack of packing crates. About a hundred feet ahead of her, she could see the hangar. She could also see Riley. And it about broke her heart when they decided beating him up was the best way to get the code. _Hang in there, Riley_, she thought, _we're coming for you._

She was all for the guns blazing, direct approach, but that wasn't Ben Gates' style. Instead, she was waiting. And waiting. And still waiting, while Ben and Abigail tried to figure something out.

She closed her eyes and winced as a punch was landed to Riley's gut. Natalie had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. As she watched, Riley was forced to his feet and around to the back of the plane.

_Damn you, Ben Gates. Hurry up!_

A hand touched her shoulder, and Natalie jerked around. Ben and Abigail were both there. "How's he doing?"

"He's getting worked over quite nicely- _where_ have you been?" Natalie demanded.

Abigail smiled. "I think she likes him."

"As a matter of fact, yes, very much so." Natalie figured it didn't make much sense to start lying to him now. Not if she was going to be seeing more of him in the future.

Ben was slightly taken aback. Out of all his friends (and it wasn't many, what with Ian being in federal lockdown and everything), Riley was voted _least_ likely to ever have a girlfriend. It would appear that Ben was going to have to change his rankings. "Don't worry; we'll get him out of there in one piece."

_You'd better._ "I believe you," Natalie said. "Now, what are we going to do?"

Just then, she heard it.

"Okay. Okay, I'll give it to you."

She looked over at Ben. Ben's jaw dropped. "Scratch the plan," he said. "We're gonna play it be ear."

_Great._

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Riley clutched his shoulder with one hand. Painstakingly, he lifted his other hand so it was flush with the keypad. "You know, Ben knows the code. He might've changed it. And if he did, I'm not gonna be able to let you all in."

"Then he better not have changed it," Scarface's partner said.

Riley grimaced as pain shot up and down his arm again. He raised his finger to punch in the numbers. _Ben. Hurry up!_ Carefully, he typed in 7-7-2-0-0-7. His finger hovered over the YES key. Then he pressed it.

A short _bzzz_ sound emitted from the keypad. It almost sounded annoyed. "Huh..." Riley turned to his captors, extremely nervous. "Guess he changed it."

The cold barrel of a gun found its way to Riley's ear. "You'd better start thinking like your friend, then," Scarface hissed.

"Hey!"

Riley knew that voice. "Ben!"

Ben stepped forward, the Treasury agent's gun in his hand. "Drop the gun," he warned. He looked at Riley. "You all right?"

"No," Riley replied. "Everything hurts, and oh yeah, there's a _gun_ pointed at my head!"

Behind them all, the other man pulled a gun from somewhere in the folds of his robe. Then he heard the sound of a gun being cocked in his ear.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll drop that gun right now and hit your knees," someone else said.

Riley took a chance and turned around. He smiled, though it pained him. "Natalie!"

She smiled. "Hello, darling. How's your day going?"

"It's been better," Riley admitted. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Can we do this later?" Natalie said. "Not that I don't love the apology."

"Oh, for crying out loud," the man who was Scarface's partner finally said. He tugged off his head covering.

Abigail's eyes widened. Ben swore.

Natalie kept her gun on the other man. "Who are you?" she demanded.

She soon got her answer. "Ian!" Riley breathed.

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**Hi all! Thanks fo reviewing! SORRY it's taken me forever to update! Two chapters to go!**


	8. Nice Timing

Chapter Eight: Nice Timing

Ian Howe glared at his former colleagues. "Hello, Riley, Ben," he said to each. "How are you both?"

"I need to go write my congressman," Ben replied. "There's something seriously wrong with our justice system. How did you get out?"

Ian shrugged, very aware of the gun trained on him. "You wouldn't believe how minimum-security a maximum-security prison really is."

"And you're after the treasure- again."

Ian shrugged. "Old habits, and that." He cast a glance over his shoulder at Natalie. "Darling, if you'd be so kind to drop that gun."

She looked at him. Her green eyes burned. "You're really not in a position to make demands," she pointed out.

Just then, the group heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. The two agents assigned to the treasure had woken up...and they most definitely weren't there to protect the treasure.

"So hard to find good help these days," Ian replied.

Ben raised his eyes skyward in annoyance as Natalie set her gun on the ground. Abigail raised her hands and Riley closed his eyes in defeat. He leaned forward to rest his head on his good arm.

He accidentally hit the YES key. The keypad started beeping furiously.

Ian looked surprised. Natalie took the chance and tackled him around the knees.

One of the agents fired at Ben. It ricocheted off the plane, Ben grabbed Abigail's hand and dove behind the wheel of the plane. Riley took cover behind the opposite wheel strut.

Natalie wrestled with Ian. She rolled him onto his back and thought she had him pinned, but he managed to get an arm free and struck her cheek. She slid, dazed.

"Natalie!" Riley yelled.

Ben took a shot at the two fake agents. He succeeded in nailing one in the shoulder- which Riley found really ironic. He dropped the gun and hit the blacktop. That left his partner, yet.

Ian stood over Natalie, gun in hand. He looked over at Riley. "How about it, Riley?" he asked. "Feel like handing over that treasure?"

Riley said, "No way!"

Ian's jaw dropped. It wasn't the answer he'd been expecting.

Then he heard hoofbeats.

Natalie looked up and grinned, then passed out.

Ardeth Bey came thundering into the hangar. He rode directly into Ian Howe, knocking him over and out cold. Ardeth swung himself off the horse and made for Natalie's side.

Ben looked over at the fake Treasury agent. Whoever the impersonator was clearly wasn't expecting a black-robed man with tattoos and a sword to come riding into the very modern airport. He was standing there, shell-shocked.

Ben strode up to him, gun leveled. "Drop it," he suggested mildly.

The gun clattered to the ground.

Riley hobbled out to Natalie's side, where Ardeth was kneeling. "Nice timing," Riley told the warrior.

Ardeth merely nodded, returning his gaze to Natalie O'Connell. Riley took her hand. "C'mon, Natalie," he said. "Wake up. I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I'm an idiot, I admit it." He smiled weakly, ignoring the biting pain in his shoulder. "Heck, I'm self-employed. I can take vacation. And I want to spend it here."

He squeezed her hand. "I love you, Natalie O'Connell. And you owe me sunrise over the pyramids."

She opened one eye, slowly. "Say that again."

Riley smiled happily. "You owe me-"

"Riley!" she yelped, and hit him in the shoulder.

The one that had been shot.


	9. Better Things to Do

**Author's Note: I don't own the characters of The Mummy; they belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal. I also don't own the characters of National Treasure; they are property of Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turteltaub and Disney.**

**BTW- to JustWriter2- thanks for the trailer link! I'm super excited, and once again, Riley gets all the good lines- just the way I like it! Can't wait for Book of Secrets to come out!**

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Chapter Nine: Better Things To Do

Ben called Cairo police. With Natalie translating, they managed to get most of the story clear. As the men were hauled away to face extradition back to the States, Natalie leaned on Riley's good shoulder for support. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

He laid his head on hers. "I've been better." Then he blinked, realizing he'd just screwed up again. "I...I mean-" He looked into her eyes and got lost. "Nope, I'm like a hundred percent," he said. "We never would have made it through that if it hadn't been for..."

He looked around. Natalie gave the area a once-over.

Ardeth had disappeared.

Natalie returned her head to Riley's shoulder. Just another one of those mysteries her great-grandfather had written about.

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_A few days later..._

Natalie stepped back from the glass and smiled. Ancient artifacts laced in gold glittered and twinkled back at her. She could pick out a few of the more prominent pieces from her classes.

It was amazing.

Her boss had forgiven her for leaving work and not showing up after he heard about what she'd gone through. She was even supposed to be getting a promotion to curator for the treasures.

"Hi, you."

Natalie saw the reflection in the glass and turned around. "Hi, you," she replied.

Riley Poole grinned at her. Today he sported a Led Zeppelin T-shirt and a pair of jeans with holes in the knees. His black and white Converse shoes were a little dirtier.

"Ready for lunch?" Riley had agreed to stay in Cairo for a while to finish paperwork for the treasure transfer. And then he was taking vacation. A well-deserved one.

A long, _long_ one.

Natalie nodded. "Give me a second." She disappeared into her office and returned with her bag. "All right, I'm ready to go. How's the arm?"

Riley rotated it in a circle. "Almost good as ne-ow."

She laughed. He smiled back.

"What did the doctor tell you about over-exerting it?" Ben Gates asked, coming up behind them.

"Hi, Ben," Natalie said. "I'll keep him in line, promise."

"Good, he needs that," Abigail said, sliding her arm through her husband's. She grinned.

Riley tugged out his wallet. "All right. I got twenty bucks. Let's head out."

Ben said, "Twenty bucks, huh? Hmmm...that reminds me." He looked at Riley. "I think you owe me some money."

Riley cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh, yeah, you know what?" He grabbed Natalie's hand and they took off for the door.

"I'll pay you later!"

_I have so many _better_ things to do_.

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**Well, that's the end! Thanks to everybody who reviewed, your feedback helped me keep writing! Maybe I'll get another spurt of creativity once "Book of Secrets" comes out!**


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